JP7568066B2 - Position adjustment mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a position adjustment mechanism.

Generally, image forming devices may be equipped with optional external devices such as post-processing devices or intermediate processing devices. Post-processing devices perform post-processing (punching or hole-making, etc.) on printed paper discharged from the image forming device. Intermediate processing devices supply paper discharged from the image forming device to the post-processing devices.

Such optional devices are detachably connected to the side of the image forming device via a connecting mechanism, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example. The connecting mechanism has a connecting strip attached to the mounting surface of the post-processing device in the image forming device. The connecting strip is supported by the image forming device so that it can slide in a direction perpendicular to the height direction. When the connecting strip is slid with the post-processing device facing the side of the image forming device, the insertion portion formed on the connecting strip engages with a pillar protruding from the post-processing device.

JP 2012-8460 A

However, in the image forming device shown in Patent Document 1, the upper part of the optional paper feeder (first device) is simply connected to the upper part of the image forming device (second device), and the lower part of the first device is free to move. This causes a problem in that the distances from the side of the second device to the upper and lower parts of the first device differ, meaning that the first device is tilted relative to the vertical direction.

The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to make it possible to perform position adjustment with an inexpensive configuration by minimizing the number of parts, through ingenuity in the configuration of a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the positional relationship between a first device and a second device that is connected to the side of the first device via a connecting mechanism.

A position adjustment mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention includes an adjustment unit for adjusting the positional relationship between a first device and a second device having a connected surface that is connected to a side surface of the first device via a connection mechanism. The adjustment unit includes an axial member that extends in a direction opposite to the first device and the second device and has a screw portion formed on its outer circumferential surface, a retaining member that is provided on the first device and has a screw hole that penetrates in the direction opposite to the first device and holds the axial member in a state in which it penetrates the screw hole, a contact member that is provided on the end of the axial member on the second device side and contacts the connected surface of the second device, and a compression coil spring that is arranged to surround the axial member and the contact member and is compressed by being sandwiched between the retaining member and the connected surface of the second device.

According to the present invention, by devising an ingenious configuration for the position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the positional relationship between a first device and a second device connected to the side of the first device via a connecting mechanism, it is possible to reduce the number of parts as much as possible and perform position adjustment with an inexpensive configuration.

1 is a front view showing an image forming system including a position adjustment mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a connection structure of a second post-processing device and an image forming device to a first post-processing device; FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a portion III in FIG. 2 . 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a ground member of a first post-treatment device in a comparative example.

Below, one embodiment of the present invention is described in detail based on the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

1 and 2 show an image forming system 1 including a position adjustment mechanism 10 according to this embodiment. In the following description, the front and rear refer to the front and rear sides of the image forming system 1 (the near side and far side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1), and the left and right sides refer to the left and right sides when the image forming system 1 is viewed from the front.

As shown in Figure 1, the image forming system 1 has an image forming device 2, a first post-processing device 3, and a second post-processing device 4. The image forming device 2, the first post-processing device 3, and the second post-processing device 4 are arranged adjacent to each other in this order from right to left. A position adjustment mechanism 10 (see Figure 2) is arranged between each of the adjacent devices 2 to 4.

In this example, the image forming device 2 is an internal paper discharge type multifunction device. The image forming device 2 has a housing 2a, which is a rectangular box shape that is long in the vertical direction. Casters 2b for movement are attached to the underside of the housing 2a. A paper feed cassette section 5 for storing paper is arranged so that it can be pulled out at the bottom of the housing 2a of the image forming device 2. An image reading section 6 that reads an original image and generates image data is provided on the upper side of the housing 2a. An image forming section is housed in the space above the paper feed cassette section 5 within the housing 2a. The image forming section executes a process of printing an image on paper based on image data generated by the image reading section 6 or image data received from an external terminal.

An internal paper discharge space S is provided between the top surface of the housing 2a and the image reading unit 6. In this example, an intermediary conveying device 8 is installed in the internal paper discharge space S. Paper discharged from the image forming device 2 is supplied to the first post-processing device 3 via the intermediary conveying device 8.

The first post-processing device 3 receives paper supplied by the relay transport device 8 and performs a first post-processing on the paper. The first post-processing device 3 has a housing 3a. The housing 3a is formed in a rectangular box shape with a height dimension greater than that of the image forming device 2. When viewed from the front, the housing 3a has a vertically elongated shape with a vertical dimension that is more than five times its horizontal width. Casters 3b for movement are attached to the underside of the housing 3a.

The second post-processing device 4 receives the paper discharged by the first post-processing device 3 and performs a second post-processing on the paper. The second post-processing device 4 has a housing 4a. The housing 4a is in the shape of a rectangular box with approximately the same height as the image forming device 2. Casters 4b for movement are attached to the underside of the housing 4a.

Examples of post-processing performed by the first post-processing device 3 and the second post-processing device 4 include stapling, perforation, punching, etc. In this example, the post-processing performed by the first post-processing device 3 and the post-processing performed by the second post-processing device 4 are different, but may be the same process.

The first post-processing device 3 and the image forming device 2 are connected by a first connecting mechanism. In addition to the first connecting mechanism, an intermediate transport path is provided between the first post-processing device 3 and the image forming device 2. The first connecting mechanism and the intermediate transport path are covered by a cover member 7 so that they cannot be seen from the outside. The second post-processing device 4 and the first post-processing device 3 are connected by a second connecting mechanism. As the first connecting mechanism and the second connecting mechanism, for example, a well-known connecting mechanism disclosed in JP 2012-8460 A can be adopted. Specifically, each connecting mechanism has a connecting sheet metal provided on the side of the first post-processing device 3 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, and a protruding pin protruding from the side of the counterpart device facing the side of the first post-processing device 3. A D-cut portion is formed in the protruding pin. An engagement hole that engages with the D-cut portion is formed in the connecting plate.

By sliding the connecting metal plate forward from the non-connecting position, the engagement hole of the connecting metal plate engages with the two-sided chamfered portion of the protruding pin, and the first post-processing device 3 and the mating device (the image forming device 2 or the second post-processing device 4 in this example) are irremovably connected. Each connecting mechanism is provided at a relatively high position from the floor surface (in this example, above the vertical center position of the first post-processing device 3) as shown by the two-dot chain line h in Figure 1, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2, a first position adjustment mechanism 10A is provided between the lower end of the first post-processing device 3 and the lower end of the image forming device 2. A second position adjustment mechanism 10B is provided between the lower end of the first post-processing device 3 and the lower end of the second post-processing device 4.

The first position adjustment mechanism 10A and the second position adjustment mechanism 10B each have two adjustment units 11. The first position adjustment mechanism 10A and the second position adjustment mechanism 10B have the same basic configuration, except for the locations where the two adjustment units 11 are attached. That is, in the first position adjustment mechanism 10A, the two adjustment units 11 are attached to the housing 2a via protruding metal plates 12, whereas in the second position adjustment mechanism 10B, the two adjustment units 11 are attached directly to the housing 4a.

The configuration of the first position adjustment mechanism 10A will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Note that the second position adjustment mechanism 10B has the same basic structure as the first position adjustment mechanism 10A, so a detailed description will be omitted.

The first position adjustment mechanism 10A has two adjustment parts 11 attached to a protruding metal plate 12. The protruding metal plate 12 has a horizontal plate part 12a and a vertical plate part 12b (an example of a holding member). The horizontal plate part 12a protrudes to the right from the lower end part of the housing 3a of the first post-processing device 3 and extends over the entire front-rear direction of the housing 3a. The vertical plate part 12b protrudes upward from the tip edge of the horizontal plate part 12a. As shown in FIG. 4, the vertical plate part 12b has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction. At both ends of the vertical plate part 12b in the front-rear direction, screw holes 12c into which the shaft member 13 described later is screwed are formed. Each screw hole 12c penetrates the vertical plate part 12b in the left-right direction (thickness direction).

The two adjustment parts 11 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line in the front-rear direction of the vertical plate part 12b. Each adjustment part 11 has a shaft member 13, a contact member 14, and a compression coil spring 15. A male screw portion is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member 13 over the entire axial direction. The shaft member 13 passes through each screw hole 12c formed in the vertical plate part 12b in a state where it is screwed into the screw hole 12c.

The abutment member 14 is composed of a disc-shaped rubber member fixed to the tip of the shaft member 13. The shape of the abutment member 14 is not limited to this, and may be formed, for example, into a polygonal shape. The material constituting the abutment member 14 is not limited to a rubber member, and may be composed, for example, of a resin material or a metal material.

The compression coil spring 15 is formed to surround the portion of the shaft member 13 on the tip side (right side) of the vertical plate portion 12b and the abutment member 14. In other words, the tip side portion of the shaft member 13 and the abutment member 14 are arranged radially inside the compression coil spring 15. The compression coil spring 15 is made of a conductive metal material. In this embodiment, the compression coil spring 15 is freely supported without being fixed to other members while being inserted into the shaft member 13 and the abutment member 14. The compression coil spring 15 is formed so that the coil diameter increases from the base end side to the tip side. The coil diameter (inner diameter) of the base end of the compression coil spring 15 is smaller than the outer diameter of the abutment member 14. Therefore, the compression coil spring 15 does not fall off to the tip side (right side) of the abutment member 14. When the image forming device 2 and the first post-processing device 3 are connected, the compression coil spring 15 contacts the right side surface of the vertical plate portion 12b of the protruding metal plate 12 and the left side surface of the housing 2a to electrically connect them. As a result, the compression coil spring 15 functions as an earth member for earthing the first post-processing device 3.

When connecting the first post-processing device 3 to the left side surface of the image forming device 2, first, the position of the tip surface of the abutment member 14 is adjusted by adjusting the amount of protrusion of the shaft member 13 to the right side relative to the vertical plate portion 12b while rotating the shaft member 13. Then, the first post-processing device 3 is slowly brought closer to the image forming device 2. As a result, the abutment member 14 abuts against the left side surface of the image forming device 2, restricting the distance between the lower end of the image forming device 2 and the lower end of the first post-processing device 3, and the compression coil spring 15 is sandwiched between the housing 2a of the image forming device 2 and the housing 3a of the first post-processing device 3 and is in a compressed state. In this state, the image forming device 2 and the first post-processing device 3 are connected and fixed by the operator operating the connection mechanism.

When the image forming device 2 and the first post-processing device 3 are connected, the restoring force of the compression coil spring 15 corrects the inclination of the first post-processing device 3. In addition, the abutment member 14 abuts against the left side surface of the housing 2a of the image forming device 2, thereby restricting the distance between the image forming device 2 and the first post-processing device 3 to the distance adjusted by the operator. This makes it possible to prevent the first post-processing device 3 from tilting left or right when the lower part of the first post-processing device 3 does not follow the connecting force of the connecting mechanism when the upper part of the image forming device 2 and the upper part of the first post-processing device 3 are connected by the connecting mechanism.

In the above embodiment, the compression coil spring 15 is made of a conductive metal material. As a result, the compression coil spring 15 also functions as an earth member for the first post-treatment device 3, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the product cost can be reduced. For example, as shown in the comparative example of FIG. 5, in a configuration in which the earth member 115 is supported in a cantilever manner on the vertical plate portion 112, there is a risk that the earth member 115 may be easily damaged by an external force. However, in the above embodiment, the shaft member 13 and the abutment member 14 are arranged radially inside the compression coil spring 15 that functions as an earth member, so that even if a radial external force acts on the compression coil spring 15, the compression coil spring 15 does not deform significantly. As a result, the compression coil spring 15 can be prevented from being damaged by a radial external force.

In the above embodiment, the compression coil spring 15 is formed so that the coil diameter increases from the base end to the tip end in the axial direction of the shaft member 13. The coil diameter (inner diameter) of the base end of the compression coil spring 15 is smaller than the outer diameter of the abutment member 14. This makes it possible to prevent the compression coil spring 15 from falling off toward the tip side of the abutment member 14.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the two adjustment units 11 are arranged symmetrically across the center line in the front-to-rear direction on the right side of the first post-processing device 3.

As a result, the first post-treatment device 3 can be prevented from tilting left or right when viewed in a plane.

The same effect can be obtained with the second position adjustment mechanism 10B provided between the second post-processing device 4 and the first post-processing device 3. In the second position adjustment mechanism 10B, the side surface of the housing 4a facing the first post-processing device 3 functions as a retaining member. That is, screw holes 12c into which the shaft member 13 screws are formed at both ends in the front-rear direction of the side surface of the housing 4a facing the first post-processing device 3.

Other Embodiments
In the above embodiment, the first post-processing device 3 is used as the first device, and the image forming device 2 or the second post-processing device 4 is used as the second device, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. The first device and the second device may be any device.

As described above, the present invention is useful for position adjustment mechanisms, and is particularly useful when applied to image forming devices such as printers, facsimiles, copiers, or multi-function peripherals (MFPs).

Claims (6)

A position adjustment mechanism including an adjustment unit for adjusting a positional relationship between a first device installed on a floor surface by casters for moving and a second device installed on the floor surface and having a connected surface that is connected to a side surface of the first device via a connecting mechanism, in a direction facing each other ,
The adjustment unit is disposed at a position spaced apart from the connecting mechanism in the up-down direction ,
a shaft member extending in a direction opposite to the first device and the second device and having a screw portion formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof;
a holding member provided in the first device, the holding member having a screw hole penetrating in the opposing direction and holding the shaft member in a state where the shaft member is inserted into the screw hole;
a contact member provided at an end of the shaft member on the second device side and contacting the connected surface of the second device;
a position adjustment mechanism comprising a compression coil spring arranged to surround the shaft member and the abutment member, and compressed between the retaining member and the connected surface of the second device. 2. The position adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the compression coil spring is made of a conductive metal material , and the first device and the second device are electrically connected to each other via the compression coil spring . The position adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the compression coil spring is formed so that the coil diameter increases from the base end to the tip end in the axial direction of the shaft member. The position adjustment mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the coil diameter of the base end of the compression coil spring is smaller than the outer diameter of the abutment member. The adjustment unit includes two adjustment units,
The position adjustment mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the two adjustment parts are arranged symmetrically across a center line in a front-rear direction perpendicular to the opposing direction on the side surface of the first device. the first device is a first post-processing device that performs a first post-processing on a sheet discharged from an image forming device;
2 . The position adjustment mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the second device is a second post-processing device that is different from the image forming device or the first post-processing device and performs a second post-processing on the paper.

Images